When large numbers of a product must be transported in large quantities to another location, especially a smaller product, the product is typically packaged in a container to protect the product during shipping of the container. Additionally, the container, such as a box, is configured to secure a compact grouping or array of the product. The containers are sized so that multiple containers can be arranged and stacked on a pallet having a footprint which can be accommodated by freight hauling compartments, e.g., for truck, rail, sea or air vessels.
While boxes are commonly used to secure products, savings can sometimes be achieved by using tray packs or spot packs. A tray pack consists of products which are arranged and placed in a tray, i.e., a partial box including a bottom surrounded by shallow vertical walls disposed along the periphery of the bottom. A spot pack consists of products, which are arranged and placed in a flat layer of material, such as cardboard. Once the products have been placed on the tray or layer of material, a layer of plastic is then wrapped around the combined tray and products.
Packaging is becoming increasingly automated in manufacturing facilities, wherein containers containing products are moved via a conveyor, which containers are manipulated by robots onto pallets. While such processing may work well if only a single size of product is produced and packaged in the same size and type of container, most manufacturing facilities not only produce products of different size, but entirely different products. That is, for example, during a portion of a work shift, boxes of a certain size for one product must be palletized, but during a later portion of the work shift, either differently sized boxes, tray packs or even spot packs must be palletized. Currently, robotic head constructions that can be used to manipulate boxes containing products cannot also be used to manipulate tray packs or spot packs containing products.
What is needed is a single robotic head construction that is compatible for manipulating boxes, tray packs and spot packs containing products.